A spacious full-size American sedan that's comfortable, powerful, drives well, and is a great value. That's how I'd summarize the 2000 Buick LeSabre in one sentence. This is really my dad's car, but I've driven it very often. The main gripe I have about this LeSabre is that the previous generation (we had a 1997 LeSabre) was a lot more spacious in the back seat and it had bench seats in the front and back. But besides that, this car is much better and the redesign definitely is welcomed.
My family is a Buick family. We've owned: 84 Regal, 88 Century, 97 LeSabre, and now this 2000 LeSabre. Buicks are great because they are American luxury cars without a luxury car sticker price. They are spacious and comfortable, retain their value very well, and very reliable. I'm going to compare the 2000 model to the 1997 model a lot in this review, since they are one generation apart and I've driven both extensively.
EXTERIOR: 9
The styling is very Buick. It's conservative yet modern. It appeals to older folks as well as younger folks (who don't mind that they're driving a Buick, which has a stigma of being an "old-man's car"). There's traces of conservativeness: like the front grille, the subdued (not flashy) aluminum wheels, the big red tail-lights. But then it's also a bit modern and curvy.
The bumpers are plastic and fairly resilient and strong. The doors are sturdy and closes with a nice "thud", true to Buick quality. The side mirrors are nice and big (unlike the 97 LeSabre which had pathetically small mirrors for such a big car) like they should be, and the car in general is a little higher off the ground than the previous generation. For one, the wheels are much bigger. And the tires (Firestones) are wider/fatter too. This contributes to better handling and a good, smooth ride that is also a bit sporty. The back is higher up, which I personally don't like because rear window visibility is priority for me. But backing up in this car isn't that difficult. It's just not ideal (like my 88 Century). The metallic paint job is great. A great feature is the windshield wipers: the wiper fluid spray is ON the blade itself (in fact, there's two nozzles per blade), so you get the wiper fluid all over the window, spread out evenly (rather that in one spot) as the blades are moving. This is an ingenious idea.
INTERIOR: 8
First the gauges: they are visible and straight-forward analog rotary gauges. There's a nice little electronic computer display for things like odometer and warnings like when your oil needs changing or if the tire pressure is too low. The CD player is mounted high on the dash, so you can see the big clock and the big controls are very user-friendly. The temperature controls suffer what Buicks all suffer: non-standard controls: they are buttons, not rotary dials. Bi-Lev vs. Norm vs. Max air-conditioning: What do they mean? You can order the optional automatic climate control which is a very nice option (we had it in our 97 lesabre: you just specify a temperature and the thing cool or heats your car until you reach that temperature: very nice and luxurious) that I recommend.
This model came with bucket seats with a HUGE center console thing, which I don't like very much. I'm used to American cars having big bench seats in the front like a sofa with no middle console. You can only seat 2 people in the front because of the middle console, which I think is an option that came with this car (don't choose this option if you like bench seating like me). It holds ALOT of stuff, however: and has a cigarette lighter plug (not for lighters) for electronics and cell phones and such. There's actually 3 lighter plugs in this car (yes, three!!-- one standard "cigarette" plug, one inside the console towards the back, and one in the front of the console towards the floor.): so you can plug your cell phone, a laptop, and whatever else gadgets all the the same time. Very convenient for us geek drivers. The center console can easily hold a 6-CD changer if you want to install that. But like I said, it's too big and takes up too much space.
The cupholder is huge and flips out. It's a stupid design, because of its size, it can potentially hold about 6 cups, but it only has a holder for 2 cups. (UPDATE) I recently discovered the reasoning behind this excessively big flip cup holder: The right side holds two cups. The left side is flat and it is parallel to the ground when you flip open the thing all the way: this is supposed to be where one can attach a cell phone holder/charger, using the lighter plug inside the console to power it. And I forgot to mention that the console also has a little "notepad holder" that flips out about 135 degrees and is ergonomically pointed towards the driver, for taking notes while talking on your cell phone (I'm guessing): I recommend you don't do these things while driving, of course. :)
The controls are all sturdy yet soft (turn signal lights, wiper controls), and the steering wheel-mounted radio controls are convenient. Cruise control buttons are on the two lower spokes of the steering wheel and simple to use. The leather is nice and plush (but I think stretched a little tighter than I'd like) and makes long trips very comfortable. The headrest is sturdy. I wish there were pockets on the back of the front seats (like our 97 lesabre did). It's very roomy in the front. The back is roomy too, but not as roomy as the '97 LeSabre. In fact, I was surprised that the new LeSabres were more crammed in the back than the previous generation. Looking at specs only, supposedly legroom and headroom is slightly larger in the 2000 model, but from real-life testing (it's called, try to seat 4 adults in the back), I can say that the '97 had a lot of legroom and felt like a family leather couch in the living room, and seated 4 adults comfortably. The 2000 model only does 3 adults, and legroom is a bit more crammed. Mostly due to the increased slant of the back seat, and the fact that the back seat is in "theatre seating" configuration (back seat is higher than the front seat, so you can see the road better from the back). The trunk, however is about the same size as the '97: it's huge and the trunk cargo net is a nice feature for grocery shoppers. The factory stereo is actually pretty decent: Concert Sound III Speakers with factory in-dash cassette/CD/radio. The 6 selectable EQ is nice: I like the "Jazz" and "C&W" EQ presets. I like listening to my CDs in this car, and it gets loud without distortion. Impressive for a factory stereo system.
COMFORT/LUXURY/OPTIONS: 9
The leather and the features in this car makes it a very comfortable car. I would sleep in this car, no problem. I don't give it a score of 10, because the '97 was more spacious in the back and it had an armrest for rear passengers (not the 2000).
Luxury features that Americans love are all here:
Remote keyless entry with trunk opener, which lights up the interior of the car upon unlocking. Interior lights that "fade" out after a few minutes after locking your doors (may confuse some people-- don't worry, the lights eventually go out!). Automatic headlights [manual control is possible] that turn on when it's dark or when your windshield wipers are on, and off (after a few seconds) when you turn off the engine (no more dead batteries!). Power windows, side mirrors, and driver's seat (manual lumbar controls, and passenger seat is manual in the Custom model). Auto dimming rearview mirrors and side mirrors (they turn dark, greenish tint when someone with bright headlights hit the mirrors). Computer display on the dash that shows all essential stats about the car and tells you when oil change or tire inflation or gas fill up or wiper fluid refill is due. Doors that lock when you put your gear into "Drive" and unlock when you go to "Park."
Automatic climate control with separate driver/passenger side temperature controls are an option in the Custom model, standard on the Limited model. The Limited model is the trimline with almost everything standard if you must have all the luxury features such as (some of these are 2001 model year features only): compass on the rear-view mirrors, rain-sensing wipers, cornering lamps, full traction control, seat setting memory, etc. I highly recommend the Limited version if luxury is important to you: it's $4000 more than the Custom model, though.
The little things always make life easier: Case in point: the remote trunk opener button is mounted on the driver's side door panel, not way down on the floor by the seat like most cars. How many times have you reached "down there" looking for the controls and maybe opening the fuel door instead? (Buicks by the way, at least the ones we've owned, never had remote fuel door openers.) Also, the the trunk lock (for "valet mode") is on the button itself, not in the glove box like most other cars: you insert your key and turn to lock the trunk. These little things make me smile. (Tidbit: to open the trunk, the car must be in "Park" or the engine off: this is to prevent you from accidentally opening your trunk while you're driving. This is a pet peeve, but you can appreciate the thought that went into it...)
Also, the radio stays on even if you turn off the engine, until you open a door. This may annoy you, but I like it, since I can finish listening to a great tune, or when I'm waiting in my car for someone, I can just keep listening to the music without turning my keys to the "Accessory" position.
One thing I wished we ordered with this car is a split folding rear seat. The trunk may be huge, but it's not big enough for lugging things like bookshelves and other long/big furniture.
ENGINE: 9
The "famous" GM 3800 Series II V6 is the engine, pumping out 205 horsepower (at 5200rpm): plenty for any family sedan, but also enough for those of us that like to drive it a bit "harder". :) The acceleration is quick and responsive and powerful: When you need power, the car will give it to you. You can be going 85mph and feel like you're only going only 35-- The only other car I've driven where I've felt this way was in the huge '95 Ford Crown Victoria V8.
When you open the hood, you'll find that everything is very neatly organized and covered with plastic. I suppose this is to hide everything that is not servicable by the normal driver: Only the things that you should touch (basically, fluid checking) are visible and accessible. If you're a do-it-yourselfer, you'll need to remove the plastic to get the engine parts and so on. Even the fuse box and the engine itself is covered in a plastic cover.
The engine is very happy with regular unleaded gasoline, so don't waste money on premium fuel for this car.
RIDE: 10
You can't beat a luxury car ride that Buick never fails to offer. But it's a good balance of being "floaty" yet not too "loose" to make you sea-sick: Handling is decent; you don't feel like the car is going to roll over when you do turns, even if you turn hard (although you slip and slide a bit in the leather seats). Handling is greatly helped by the wide and big tires. Road noise is almost non-existent, even on the highway. There is, however, some wind noise when going over 65mph, particularly from the back seat. There is no draft or wind coming inside the cabin, but you can hear the noise if you have the stereo off. You can barely hear the engine under normal acceleration and driving, which is desired in a luxury car.
RELIABILITY: 9
The wiper motor died out in the first month, but other than that, no other maintenance (other than oil changes) were required, and it already has over 20,000 miles on it. I have a feeling that this is going to be a very reliable car. Good for those of us who have enough things to worry about in our lives already. It's a great "fill-up-the-tank-and-just-drive" kind of car.
SAFETY: 9
Dual front airbags and side airbags are standard on this car, as well as ABS brakes and disc brakes on all four wheels. Daytime running lights (you might not like them, so dealer can turn them off) are standard as well. The construction is solid and I feel very safe in this car. I wish the rear of the car was a bit lower and the rear window a lot bigger, but all 2000-year model cars have higher "butts" which I guess is a trend. I like to see everything in the back (I would never get an SUV or big truck for this very reason.) The belts lock very well when you brake hard, yet it's very comfortable and flexible when you're just riding. For those with children, there are anchors for child seats in the back, which are nicely covered with a flip plastic cover when not in use. UPDATE: GM's OnStar emergency computer is standard with all 2001+ models. This used to only come with Cadillacs, but now Buicks and Saabs and a few other makes have them as well.
VALUE: 9 (+Final Verdict)
There's a reason why this LeSabre is one of the best selling American sedans: it's good balance between comfortable and sporty, features and price, conservative and modern. It really appeals to family-oriented folks, but also to people who are looking for a good value in a car with low insurance rates, low maintenance costs, high safety rating, and packed with luxury features at a good price.
Forget the Honda Accord and Toyota Camry: this car is so much more comfortable and gives more bang for your buck, plus you won't be driving what everyone else is driving (boring!). I don't give the LeSabre a 10 rating, because for a little less money you can get something like a Buick Century or Regal which have similar features. And also, most people would go for an Accord or Camry because they are cheaper: Buick should lower their price a little bit to match those of the Accords and Camrys: but remember, those two Japanese cars come bare-bones and once you put options in them comparable those that are standard on the LeSabre, they are not very "good buys" anymore.
Last updated/Edited: November 26, 2000 (added part about wind noise and under the hood, added 2001 model options and trimline comparison)
